Railway switch and signal mechanism



3. P. SKAR TCHSEARIS. RAILWAY SWITCH A'ND SIGNAL MECHANISM. 7 -APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, I921. RENEWED AUG-'14. I922. 1 ,430,4 1 1, Patented Sept 26, 1922.

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J. P. SKARTCHSEARJS.- RAILWAY SWITCH A-ND smm LMEcHAMSM. APPLICATION FILED MAY l3, l92l- RENEWED -4| I922. 1,480,41 1

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.I 135% am 07256 J. P; SKARTCHSEABIS. RAILWAY swncu AND SlGNAL MECHANISM;

APPLICATION FILED M AY13. 1921.

RENEWED AUG. 14, 1922.

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en'rra'r as.

JAMES P. SKARTGHSEABIS, or AMEs'rown. NEW YORK.

RAILWAY SWITCH AND SIGNAL MECHANISM.

Application filed. May 13, 1921, Serial No. 469,281. Renewed August 14, 1922. Serial No. 581,839.

To a ZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JAMEs P. SKAR'roH- snAnIs, a subyect of the King of Greece, re-

siding at Jamestown, in the county of Chain.

. and switch operating mechanism wherein the switch point operating bar is preliminarily unlocked before the switch proper is actuated and simultaneously operating a signal or semaphore.

Another and very important object of the invention resides in the construction and provision of a combined signal and switch operating mechanism capable of being actuated either from a main line and a. siding or branch line including provision for oper ating a second signal situated at a remote point from the juncture of the main and branch line whereby the direction of travel ma be determined.

nother and very important object of the invention relates to a switch and combined signal and operating mechanism of the above class which will be simple in construction, highly efficient and positive in operation,

;consisting of comparatively few parts which may be easily installed and which is not likely to get out of order, and otherwise embracing and conforming to the essentials of safety requirements of devices of this type now. being used.

With these objects in view and others which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and scope thereof, anolin which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the signal and switch operating mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a detail view of one of the trip levers.

Fig. 3 is a front view of one of the trip levers showing the same in its relation to a rail.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4l4c of Fig. 1 showing the lock operatinglever.

Fig. 5 is a V16W' partly in section showing the switch point operating bar unlocked.

F 6 is a similar view showing the bar in its locked position. i

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary view of one end of the switch point operating oar.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modified form of a signal and switch operating mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a view partly in section showing another form of lock for the switch point operating bar.

points 11, 12, of the main rails, all of which I operate in a similar manner to my patent above referred to. It will be observed that the movable switch points 13', 14 of the main rails and the switch points 9, 10 operate simultaneously and in unison being connected to a transversely extending switchtpoint operating bar l5, which I have shown positioned between theextended ties 16, 17 on which the switch operating mechanism is partly mounted.

The respective'endsof the bar 15 extend transversely through a boxing or guide 18 and are slidably arranged therein for cooperation with a vertically movable lock bar 19 which is provided with a slot 20 for align ment with the transverse slot 21 in the boxing 18 to permit the switch operating bar 15 to slide therethrough. It will be also observed that the bar 15 is provided with an integral lug 22 near its ends which engages the lock bar 19 when in its raised posltion as clearly shown by Ji'ig. 5. The lock barl9 as pivoted at 27 to each end of the rail 16, the upper free end 28 of said bell crank lever passing through a slot 29 in the end of a second bell crank lever 30 positioned and arranged at right angles thereto and pivoted as at 31 to the rail 16 above referred to.

The extreme outer ends of the switch operating bar 15 are provided with apertures 32 whereby the yokes 33 are connected to operate the rods 34 and the bell crank lever 35 connected thereto so that the semaphores or signals 36, 37 may in turn be actuated by their respective connecting rods 38, 89 when the bar 15 and the switch points carried thereby are actuated.

Each of the bell crank levers 80 are con nected by a pair of cross operating rods 40, 41 connecting another bell crank lever 42, 43 which are shown as pivoted at 44 to one of the ties. The last mentioned bell crank lever 43 is connected to the bent lever 44 by a connecting link 45, a pull rod 46 being in turn connected to said connecting link 45 and a trip 47 which I have shown pivoted at 48 to an upwardly extending support 49 mounted on one of the ties 50 and positioned outside of the main rail. 5, 6. The opposite end of the bell crank lever 43, above referred to, is connected by a rod 51 leading to and connected with a bell crank lever 52 disposed outside the rail 7 of the side track, another rod 53 being also provided for connection with the bell crank lever 52 and a trip 54 similar to the trip 47 and operating in the same manner to exert a pull on the rod 53 to actuate the mechanism to open and close the switch points. The connecting link 55, outside the main rail 6, which operates the bell crank levers 42, 48, has connected at one end a signal operating rod 56 which operates a pivoted lever 57 connected by a rod 58 to a suitable signal or semaphore such as above described, whereby when the switch is operated to open or close the main line this information will be apparent at the crossing somewhat removed from the side line.

In the actual operation of the switch, when it is desired to operate the switch points 9, 10 to permit travel on the side track, it will of course, be necessary to actuate the switch point operating bar 15 to the right assum' ing that the train is approaching in the direction of the arrow. When the trip 47 is actuated, a pull will be exerted on the rod 46 and consequently to the link 45 whereby the bell crank lever 43 will actuate one of the cross rods 40 thus rotating the bell crank lever 30 and of course the bell crank lever 26 whereby the lock bar 19 is raised to the position shown by Fig. 5 to its open, unlocked position, permitting the bar 15 toslide outwardly and to the right thus moving the switch points 9, 10 to engagement with the switch points .11, 12 or the main rails. will of course be understood that the keyhole slots in the ends of the connecting links 45 and bentlevers 44 permit the locking and unlocking of the lockbars just preliminary to the transverse movement of the switch point operating bar 15. The operation of the bar in each instance, operates the semaphores 36, 3. as the case may be and also the signal and semaphore (not shown) positioned near the crossing and somewhat removed it'rorn the switch. It will of course be understood that when the right hand lock bar is locked ior' instance, permitting travel on the main line, the left hand lock bar is unlocked and vice versa, so that in unlocking the lock bar 19 to permit travel on the side line, the left hand trip 47 must be actuated and in the other position the right hand trip must be actuated. In other words, the operation of the switch is somewhat of a criss-cross scheme, whereby a left hand trip operates the right hand look ing bar and the right hand trip operates the left hand locking bar.

in the form of the invention shown by Fig. 8, the switch points 60, 61 of the main 11m, and the switch points 62, 63 of the branch line are also adapted to be operated by the switch point operating bar 64 which is held in its locked and unlocked position by the mechanism subsequently to be reterred to;

In this form of the invention, 1 have also resorted to the use of hell crank levers and connecting rods for operating the switch, it being noted that the bell crank levers 65, 66 are pivotally connected as at 67 to one of the ties 68 and in turn connected to the switch point operating bar 64 above referred to. The bell crank levers 65, 66 are also provided with keyhole slots 69, at their point of connection with the switch point operating bar, the opposite ends of the said bell crank levers being connected by a rod 70 to one end of a second T-shaped lever 71 pivotally mounted as at 72 on a rail 73 as clearly shown in said figure. A pull rod 72 also connects the respective it-shaped levers 71 with a trip 73 similar in construction to the trip 47 of the form of the invention above described, one of said T shaped levers having a signal or semaphore opera-ting rod 75 whereby a signal (not shown) may be operated in proximity to a crossing for instance whereby the position of the switch may be determined. Each lever has connected to its outer end a lock operating rod 76 extending into a casing or guide 77 secured tothe cross tie 68 and an adjacent tie by fiat plates 78 as clearly shown by Fig. 9 or" the drawing.

The respective lock rods 76 secured to the lever 77 are provided at their outer ends with sliding blocks 79 which are shown as .cut away as at 80 to receive the ends 81 of the switch point operating rod which extends within a slot formed in the casing or guide 77, the said lock being retained in its locked position and in abutting relation with the ends of the bar 64: by a coiled spring 81.

In this form of the invention, the levers 71 are connected to a signal operating rod 83which is adapted to be actuated by the bell crank levers 84 connected thereto and pivotally mounted on one of the cross ties which are operated by a pull rod 86 connected to the trip 87 in the same manner as above described. In this form of the invention, the bell crank lever 88 and its pull rod 89 and trip 90 are positioned for operation by the car while travelling on the side track, the said bell crank lever 88 being of course also connected to the signal operating rod 83 as clearlyshown in said figure.

In this form of the invention, the operation which is similar to the operation described in connection with the form of the invent on shown by Fig. 1, assuming that the car is travellingfrom the left to the ri 'ht as indicated by the arrow, when the trip 87 is actuated a pull will be exerted on the rod 86 resulting in the bell crank lever moving the rod 83 to the left, thus actuating a signal (not shown) and also the respective T-shaped levers 71. As the T-shaped levers 71. are actuated in a clockwise direction, the lock rod 76 and block 79 connected thereto will be withdrawn unlocking the end of the switch point operating rod or bar 64: permitting the same to move to the right, consequently moving the switch points 60, 61 in engagement with the rail of the main track, the operation of the levers 71 in turn actuating the signal rod whereby the position of the switch may be determined at a remote point such as the crossing referred to in connection with the operation disclosed by Fig. 1.

While I have shown my invention as designed for use in connection with railway rolling stock wherein considerable labor is d spensed with in operating the switch and signal, the mechanism is equallv adapted for electric railway toy train construction and track switch therefor with or without the locking mechanism, and such application of the invention is further contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated my invention embodied in one form by way of example, and which in practice has been found to be highly satisfactory in obtaining the desired results. It will be obvious however that other embodiments may be made and that various changes in the details of construction may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is furthermore understood that the invention is not neoessarilylimite'd cure nal of the class described, in combination' with the switch points of a railway track, a signal and switch point operating bar slidable with the said switch points, leverjoperated, vertically movable members outside the switch points for locking said bar, and a trip mechanism for releasing said locking means to actuate said bar and open or close the selective switch points.

2. In a combined railway switch and signal of the class described in combination with the switch points of a railway track,

a signal and switch point operating bar slidable with the said switch'points, lever operating locking vertically movable members outside the switch points cooperating with the ends of said bar, and a trip mechanism for releasing either of said locking members preliminary to actuating said bar to open or close the selectivelswitch points.

3. Ina combined railway switch andsignal of the class described in combination with the switch points ofa railway track,

a signal and switch-point operating bar-extending on opposite sides ofa" track slidable with the said switch points, vertically slidable locking members outside the switch points cooperating with the bar outside the track and trip mechanism for releasing either of said locking members preliminary to actuating the signal and said bar to open or close the selective switch points.

4. In a combined railwa switch and signal of the class describe in combination with the switch points of a railway track, a signal and switch point operating, transverse bar extending on opposite sides of a railway track slida-ble with the said switch points, simultaneously operable lever actuated, vertically movable locking members positioned outside the switch points cooperating with the ends of said bar to lock and unlock the same as the switch points are actuated, and trip mechanism for actuating said locking members preliminary to operating the signal and said bar to open and close the selective switch points.

5. In a combined railway switch and signal of the class described in combination with the switch points of a railway track, a signal and switch point operating bar transversely slidable with the switch points, bent levers connected to said bar, a bell crank lever and link connected to each of said bent levers, a pull rod and operating trip therefor on each side of the track to actuate said bent levers and switch point operating bar, lever operated, vertically movable locking members cooperating with said bar at its respective ends and outside of the switch points and means for shifting said bar and the selective switch points at the instant one of said locking members is unlocked.

6. In a combined railway switch and signal of the class described in combination with the switch points of a railway track, a signal and switch point operating bar transversely slidable in two directions with the switch points, bent levers connected to said bar, a bell crank lever and link connected to each of said bent levers, a second set of bell crank levers positioned on opposite sides of the track in proximity to the ends of the switch point operating bar and diagonal operating rods connected to the opposite, first mentioned bell crank levers, locking members cooperating with the ends of said switch point operating bar operatively connected with the second set of bell crank levers, and pull rods and trips therefor directly connected to each of said links whereby said bar and the selective switch points may be shifted at the instant one of said locking members is unlocked.

7. In a combined railway switch and signal of the class described in combination with the switch points of a railway track, a signal and switch point operating bar transversely slidable with said switch points,

lever operated, vertically movable locking members cooperating with the ends of said bar and trip mechanism positioned outside of the track for releasing either of said locking members and actuate said bar to open and close the selective switch points.

8. In a combined railway switch and signal of the class described in combination with the switch points of a railway track, a signal. and switch point operating bar transversely slidable with said switch points, lugs carried by said bar near the ends thereof, boxings having transverse apertures therein rigidly secured outside of the track for receiving the ends of the bar, locking members slidable within the boxings and cooperating with the lugs and trip mechanism positioned outside of the track for re leasing either of said locking members preliminary to the shifting of said bar and the selective switch points.

9. In a combined railway switch and signal of the class described, in combination with the switch points of a railway track, a signal and switch point operating bar slidable with the said switch points, vertically movable members, outside the switch points for locking said bar, and a trip mechanism for releasing said locking members to actuate said bar and open or close the selective switch points.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature hereto.

JAMES P. SKARTCI-ISEARIS. 

